Star forwards Sam Burgess and Ben Te’o are set to be named in the South Sydney team to play Manly at the SCG on Friday night in a match prop Tom Burgess believes the Rabbitohs can prove Newcastle coach Wayne Bennett wrong and confirm their premiership credentials.

Sam Burgess missed Sunday’s 50-10 demolition of Newcastle in Cairns after suffering a shoulder injury during last Monday’s win against Canberra; the rugby union-bound Englishman initially feared would end his four-year stint with Souths. Te’o was serving a one-match suspension for a dangerous throw on Raiders centre Jarrod Croker.

Returning: Sam Burgess is set to ne named for the Rabbitohs to face Manly on Friday, a match which brother Tom has pledged will prove his side's title credentials. Photo: Mark Nolan/Getty Images

But the pair are set to return for the clash with the Sea Eagles which could decide the minor premiership – a title the Rabbitohs only missed out on last year after being beaten by Sydney Roosters in their final match of the regular season played before a crowd of 59,708 at ANZ Stadium.

A win for Souths would not only put them within two points of Manly on the competition ladder, but confirm they are again one of the teams to beat for the premiership after falling just one win short of a historic grand-final appearance in the previous two seasons under coach Michael Maguire.

While there has been less hype about the Rabbitohs’ chances this season, players and fans are again starting to believe the NRL’s oldest club may be on the verge of their first premiership win since 1971. ‘‘I think we can win a title, yeah,’’ Tom Burgess said on Monday.

Despite Bennett suggesting that it was ‘‘debatable’’ whether Souths could win the premiership playing the style they are, no one in the Souths camp appeared to have taken offence when the team returned to Sydney after moving into second place with their third consecutive win on Sunday.

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“Wayne Bennett’s a very credible man but you know we will concentrate on ourselves, really,” Burgess told Channel Seven. “You know everyone’s entitled to their opinion but we’ll just concentrate on ourselves and just improve as a team at training.” Others in the Rabbitohs camp said they interpreted Bennett’s comments to mean that while opposition teams know they favour a power game through their big forwards, stopping them was another matter.

However, Andrew Johns said Friday night’s match against the competition leaders was ‘‘the big test’’ for Souths. ‘‘The last three years they have rolled over teams in the 26 rounds, then you come to the semi-finals and you have to find another gear,’’ Johns told Triple M.

‘‘The best players and the best clubs find gears, and obviously you are talking about the Roosters and Manly and these teams, [like] the Melbourne Storm. They haven’t produced at semi-final time in the big dance or whatever you want to call it. At the end of the year, under pressure, that is where they need to put all of these knockers away.’’

Manly forward Anthony Watmough has been cleared to play against the Rabbitohs after undergoing scans for a knee injury he aggravated in last Friday night’s 16-4 defeat of Brisbane. Watmough trained with teammates on Monday, along with star backs Brett Stewart and Steve Matai, who both suffered concussion during the match.

However, winger Jorge Taufua did not train and remains in doubt for a third week due to an ankle injury. Sea Eagles officials said Taufua was likely to be given until Friday to prove his fitness.

Meanwhile, Canberra have confirmed the signing of England Knights and Hull KR hooker Josh Hodgson and former Sydney Roosters forward Iosia Soliola, who plays for St Helens. ‘‘This opportunity has come at the right time for me,’’ Hodgson, 24, said. ‘‘I’ve always had an ambition to play in the NRL and I felt I would have had regrets later in my career if I didn’t take this opportunity.’’

Raiders great Brett Mullins said the players need to ‘‘pull their fingers out’’ following their 54-18 flogging against the Warriors on Sunday. ‘‘Bloody oath it’s hard to watch, it’s really tough,’’ Mullins said. ‘‘There’s obviously something going wrong there, but I’ve got no doubt [coach Ricky Stuart] will get it all sorted,’’ Mullins said.